Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation

Question 1

What is the social cognitive theory?

Answer 1

Social cognitive theory is the combination of social learning theory–which deals with learning through modeling and observation–and cognitive learning theory–which is concerned with the self, thinking, beliefs, and critique.
Overall, social cognitive theory explains how people develop social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral capabilities

Question 2

How does social cognitive theory differ from behaviorism?

Answer 2

Social cognitive theory differs from behaviorism in that it recognizes personal will and motivations rather than direct influences from environmental stimuli

Question 3

What is triadic reciprocal causality?

Answer 3

The triadic reciprocal causality explains the major influences of social cognitive theory: personal, environmental, and behavioral.

Question 4

How are the three influences mentioned relevant to the social cognition theory?

Answer 4

Personal factors are internal influences, including beliefs, expectations, cognitive abilities, motivation, attitudes, and knowledge.
The physical and social environment are the external factors that influence learning such as resources, feedback, reinforcement, other people, models and teachers, physical setting.
Behavior concerns with individual actions and choices
All three influence each other

Question 5

What are the elements of observational learning?

Answer 5

attention, retention by rehearsal, production of observed behavior and practice, motivation to perform modeled behavior, and reinforcement to persist in behavior and continue learning

Question 6

What causes an individual to learn and perform modeled behaviors and skills?

Answer 6

• the developmental level of the observer;
• the status and competence of the model;
• the degree of which the model is similar to the observer;
• observed consequences of the model’s actions/behaviors;
• actions viewed by observer as appropriate, attainable, rewarding;
• actions that help observer attain goals;
• observer’s self-efficacy for performing modeled behavior

Question 7

How can teachers encourage observational learning?

Answer 7

• Model behaviors/attitudes
• Use peers as models-group students who do well with students who struggle.
• Show positive behavior leads to positive reinforcement
• Enlist help of class leaders

Question 8

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 8

Self-efficacy is the sense of competence toward a particular task

Question 9

What is agency?

Answer 9

Human agency is the capacity to coordinate one’s learning skills, motivation, and emotions to reach goal; Agency is what distinguishes behaviorism and social theory of behaviorism

Question 10

What are the elements of agency?

Answer 10

Make intentional choices, design course of actions, motivate and regulate execution of plans

Question 11

What is the difference between self-efficacy, self-concept, and self-esteem?

Answer 11

• Self-efficacy is our sense of competence
• Self-concept is our global self-perception, meaning that it is based on external and internal comparisons
• Self-esteem is associated with judgments about our self-worth based on our values

Question 12

What are the sources of self-efficacy?

Answer 12

• mastery experience, which is our own direct experiences with tasks;
• vicarious experience, which involves observing others perform tasks associated with our interests;
• social persuasion, which relies on feedback from others;
• and physiological and emotional arousal, which is our degree of excitement to learn and perform tasks successfully, or reactions causing one to fell alert, attentive wide awake, excited, or tense

Question 13

How does self-efficacy affect learning and teaching?

Answer 13

High self-efficacy influences greater effort, motivation, and performance, as well as persistence and goal-setting

Question 14

Under what conditions does self-efficacy increase?

Answer 14

• When students adopt short-term goals
• When students use specific learning strategies
• When students receive achievement rewards

Question 15

How can teachers encourage self-efficacy in students?

Answer 15

• Important to not over or underestimate ability to perform a task successfully
• Emphasize progress in area
• Set learning goals and model mastery
• Give specific feedback for improvements
• Remind student of past efforts resulting in accomplishments

Question 16

How does self-efficacy relate to teachers?

Answer 16

Self-efficacy in teachers manifests in the belief in the ability to reach even difficult students.
Therefore, teachers take responsibility for students student learning

Question 17

What are important factors help develop self-efficacy in teachers

Answer 17

Mastery of content knowledge, vicarious experience, and social sources are important factors in developing efficacy as a teacher

Question 18

What is self-regulation?

Answer 18

Self-regulation is a process of activating and sustaining thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in order to reach our goals.

Question 19

What are the characteristics of self-regulated learners?

Answer 19

Academic learning skills
Self-awareness
Self-control
Motivation for learning

Question 20

What influences self-regulation?

Answer 20

knowledge (about self, subject, task, strategies for learning, context for applying learning), motivation (belief that intelligence and abilities are improvable), volition/will-power (deliberate, effortful, voluntary persistence)

Question 21

What is the social cognitive model of self-regulated learning?

Answer 21

Self-regulated learning is a process that involves three phases: forethought, performance, and reflection.

Question 22

Forethought phase

Answer 22

a process in which specific goals are set and motivation/beliefs are set

Question 23

performance phase

Answer 23

applying self-control, specific learning strategies, and self-observations

Question 24

reflection phase

Answer 24

looking back and evaluating what happened and outcomes of performance

Question 25

What are the social processes that help develop self-regulated learning?

Answer 25

- Co-regulation (work of parents, teachers, and mentors in modeling, direct teaching, and coaching) - Shared regulation (students working together to regulate each other using reminders, prompts, and guidance)

Question 26

What role does technology serve in self-regulation?

Answer 26

Technology helps self-regulation by presenting scaffolds and prompts.

Question 27

What does emotional self-regulation mean?

Answer 27

Emotional self-regulation means interpreting emotions in self and others, identifying actions in an emotional context, and regulating emotions in social situations

Question 28

What is Cognitive Behavior Modification?

Answer 28

Cognitive behavior modification is a self-regulation technique that focuses on self-talk and self-instruction to regulate behavior

Question 29

What are the benefits of self-talk?

Answer 29

Self-talks prompts listening, planning, working and checking

Question 30

How do teacher deal with stress, efficacy, and self-regulated learning

Answer 30

Teachers need to learn emotional skills, mindfulness stress reduction, and compassion training to deal with stress.

Question 31

How can the teacher design a classroom for self-regulation?

Answer 31

- assigning complex, but meaningful tasks; - allowing for shared control by giving students choices; - developing opportunities for students to self evaluate progress; - using cooperative tasks to create a climate of community.

Question 32

How to approach complex tasks?

Answer 32

Complex tasks address multiple goals and possess large chunks of meaning

Question 33

How to share control?

Answer 33

the teacher should model decision making and allow students to take responsibility for planning, goal-setting, and monitoring progress

Question 34

How can teachers influence students’ self-evaluation?

Answer 34

involve students in creating evaluation criteria

Question 35

How do teachers collaborate with their students, etc.?

Answer 35

create classroom routines with students to establish norms for participation and co-regulate one another’s learning